Clydesdales

The Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to make several appearances in the area, including one at the Appleton Museum of Art at 4333 N.E. Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala from 1 to 4 p.m. today. The Clydesdales' appearance in Ocala is one of 300 made annually by the five traveling hitches sponsored by Anheuser-Busch. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show. Horses chosen for the team must be at least 3 years old; stand approximately 18 hands, or 6 feet, at the shoulder; weigh an average of 2,000 pounds; be bay in color; and have four white stockings, a blaze of white on the face, and black mane and tail.

ST. LOUIS — On Saturday night in Philadelphia, one of the biggest names in hip-hop took the stage. Somewhere above him was a familiar logo. Budweiser's Made in America Music Festival, headlined and "curated" by Jay-Z , was a two-day concert, a celebration of the diversity of the American experience, and — above all — the latest step in a bid by Anheuser-Busch to make the King of Beers cool again. Budweiser has a problem. Sales have been slumping for 25 years. At the peak of its popularity, in 1988, more than 1 in every 4 beers sold in the U.S. bore Budweiser's red-and-white label.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to make several appearances in the area, including one at the Appleton Museum of Art at 4333 NE Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Clydesdales' appearance in Ocala is one of 300 made annually by the five traveling hitches sponsored by Anheuser Busch Cos. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Horses chosen for the team must be at least 3 years old; stand approximately 18 hands, or 6 feet tall, at the shoulder; weigh an average of 2,000 pounds; be bay-colored; have four white stockings, a white blaze on the face, and black mane and tail; and have a gentle temperament.

By Jim Abbott on Florida Travel and Postcards from Florida, October 3, 2010

In September, Postcards from Florida celebrated its first anniversary. No gifts, please, although a GPS would be really terrific. To celebrate the milestone, today's column will look back at some of the terrific spots that we've visited together in the past year. It'll also be a call for suggestions about other cool places that I might be able to explore in future columns. Finally, a chance for you to tell me where to go. I've already had a few helpful trip ideas from readers and friends, which will be the fodder for future dispatches.

SeaWorld Orlando recently opened a Clydesdale hitching barn -- home to the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Adjacent to the existing Clydesdale hamlet, the new hitching barn allows guests to view the previously behind-the-scenes hitch preparation. Guests can now watch as the eight-horse Clydesdale hitch is prepared for twice-daily parades through the park. In full view, handlers meticulously wash and groom the one-ton horses, braid manes and tails in traditional style, and polish the custom-made brass and leather harnessing.

There's more than one Dream Team in town.Like Shaquille and company, the other Dream Teamers have their own crew of handlers and security guards. They've got lavish quarters and adoring fans waiting to snap photos and buy T-shirts. They've even got corporate sponsorship that provides all their shoes.They're the Clydesdales, and this is their planet.Unlike basketball, you don't need a ticket to see King, Mac and the other eight members of the draft-horse Dream Team. Anyone can visit the Clydesdales in their stables under a big, white tent on Marietta Street, across from Centennial Olympic Park.

HOME FOR BIG HORSES. The Clydesdale Hamlet opened recently at Busch Gardens in Tampa. The Clydesdales are a new exhibit at the attraction, and the Hamlet includes a permanent stable whose construction is reminiscent of the Victorian era. There are six Clydesdales in the exhibit, which all come from a breeding farm in St. Louis, the home of the park's parent company, Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. The Clydesdales make up a well-known corporate symbol as part of...

A team of world-famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses visits Lake Sumter Landing in The Villages on Wednesday. Above, one of the horses waits to be unloaded for the event, which was sponsored by Bernie Little Distributing Inc. in Ocala. Below, a pair of Clydesdales stands by as those in attendance admire them. `They're a tough act to get,' Ken Daley, president of Bernie Little, said of the Clydesdales, which have appeared in commercials for the beer maker.

I wanted to be a jockey when I grew up, but I gave that up when I found out Clydesdales don't race. - Kara Wolters, the 6-foot-7 center for the ABL's New England BlizzardThey wrote it. . .Am I the only one who believes that Terry Bradshaw would have to go to night school to become a fool? - From the Vent column of readers' rantings in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

If he kept to his habits this Inauguration Day, George Bush awoke at 5 a.m. to country music from his clock radio.Mickey Mouse, meanwhile, had already been up for two hours.About the moment an outlaw lament and a steel guitar sounded the president-elect's reveille, Mickey's colleagues were beginning a sequence of events scheduled to culminate nine hours later before Bush's reviewing stand on Pennsylvania Avenue.Along with Disney World's antique calliope and Percheron horse team, Mickey Mouse is Florida's official entry in today's inaugural parade.

The Super Bowl commercials this year weren't as impressive as Bruce Springsteen or Jennifer Hudson. Advertisers relied on babies, animals, slapstick and splashy effects. In a ho-hum crop, the standouts were the familiar Clydesdales and newcomer Conan O'Brien. Universal Orlando The theme park went the sentimental route. A man sees himself as boy in a superhero costume, and the announcer says, "Your inner hero is calling. Answer him. At the one place we can all feel superhuman again." In hard times, poignancy seems a smarter approach than the hard sell.

The Golden Globes will have its share of TV stars as presenters when the prizes are handed out Jan. 11. Simon Baker of The Mentalist will be there. So, too, will Glenn Close of Damages, Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live, Blake Lively of Gossip Girl, Ricky Gervais of The Office and Extras, and Laurence Fishburne of CSI. Baker certainly is a good sport; He's showing up even though he was snubbed in the nominations. The NBC telecast will give Poehler a chance to promote her upcoming NBC sitcom.

A team of world-famous Budweiser Clydesdale horses visits Lake Sumter Landing in The Villages on Wednesday. Above, one of the horses waits to be unloaded for the event, which was sponsored by Bernie Little Distributing Inc. in Ocala. Below, a pair of Clydesdales stands by as those in attendance admire them. `They're a tough act to get,' Ken Daley, president of Bernie Little, said of the Clydesdales, which have appeared in commercials for the beer maker.

ST. LOUIS -- Their best player has a bad leg. Their center fielder needs a novocaine shot to run. The shortstop and third baseman have two good shoulders between them. If the St. Louis Cardinals were Clydesdales, they'd have to be shot. But a strange thing is happening on the way to the glue factory. The Cardinals are beating the Tigers and making the experts look as if they'd been guzzling from the beer wagon. The entire city of Detroit needs a drink after Tuesday night's 5-0 loss to the Cards.

The world famous Budweiser Clydesdales will make an appearance Saturday at the Appleton Museum of Art in Ocala. The eight-horse team will be at the museum, 4333 N.E. Silver Springs Blvd., from 1 to 4 p.m. The appearance is one of 300 annually by the five traveling hitches. Each hitch travels with a Dalmatian dog. In the early days of brewing, Dalmatians were bred and trained to protect the horses and guard the wagon. General admission to the museum is $6; seniors $4; and students with I.D. $3. Members are admitted free.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to make several appearances in the area, including one at the Appleton Museum of Art at 4333 N.E. Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala from 1 to 4 p.m. today. The Clydesdales' appearance in Ocala is one of 300 made annually by the five traveling hitches sponsored by Anheuser-Busch. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Today, the giant draft horses are used primarily for breeding and show. Horses chosen for the team must be at least 3 years old; stand approximately 18 hands, or 6 feet, at the shoulder; weigh an average of 2,000 pounds; be bay in color; and have four white stockings, a blaze of white on the face, and black mane and tail.

The Golden Globes will have its share of TV stars as presenters when the prizes are handed out Jan. 11. Simon Baker of The Mentalist will be there. So, too, will Glenn Close of Damages, Amy Poehler of Saturday Night Live, Blake Lively of Gossip Girl, Ricky Gervais of The Office and Extras, and Laurence Fishburne of CSI. Baker certainly is a good sport; He's showing up even though he was snubbed in the nominations. The NBC telecast will give Poehler a chance to promote her upcoming NBC sitcom.

The Super Bowl commercials this year weren't as impressive as Bruce Springsteen or Jennifer Hudson. Advertisers relied on babies, animals, slapstick and splashy effects. In a ho-hum crop, the standouts were the familiar Clydesdales and newcomer Conan O'Brien. Universal Orlando The theme park went the sentimental route. A man sees himself as boy in a superhero costume, and the announcer says, "Your inner hero is calling. Answer him. At the one place we can all feel superhuman again." In hard times, poignancy seems a smarter approach than the hard sell.

The Budweiser Clydesdales are scheduled to make several appearances in the area, including one at the Appleton Museum of Art at 4333 NE Silver Springs Blvd. in Ocala from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The Clydesdales' appearance in Ocala is one of 300 made annually by the five traveling hitches sponsored by Anheuser Busch Cos. Canadians of Scottish descent brought the first Clydesdales to America in the mid-1800s. Horses chosen for the team must be at least 3 years old; stand approximately 18 hands, or 6 feet tall, at the shoulder; weigh an average of 2,000 pounds; be bay-colored; have four white stockings, a white blaze on the face, and black mane and tail; and have a gentle temperament.

SeaWorld Orlando recently opened a Clydesdale hitching barn -- home to the world-famous Budweiser Clydesdales. Adjacent to the existing Clydesdale hamlet, the new hitching barn allows guests to view the previously behind-the-scenes hitch preparation. Guests can now watch as the eight-horse Clydesdale hitch is prepared for twice-daily parades through the park. In full view, handlers meticulously wash and groom the one-ton horses, braid manes and tails in traditional style, and polish the custom-made brass and leather harnessing.